TORONTO, May 30, 2011 /CNW/ - Scotiabank and Green Living Enterprises are proud to announce that award-winning goldsmith, crystal artist and designer Mark Raynes Roberts, has created the commemorative sculptures to be presented to the three winners of the inaugural Scotiabank EcoLiving Awards at a gala ceremony at the Art Gallery of Ontario on June 2, 2011.

"Scotiabank is honoured to have Mark Raynes Roberts create an inspiring sculpture that truly captures the spirit of the Scotiabank EcoLiving Award - the partnership of creativity and respect for the environment," said Kaz Flinn, Vice-President, Corporate Social Responsibility, Scotiabank. "Mark's choice of materials and design philosophy celebrates society's role in the sustainability of the environment."

Born in Sutton Coldfield, England, in 1961, Mark has been living and creating his iconic masterpieces in Toronto since 1982. For over 25 years, Mark's award-winning crystal art pieces have been presented to royalty and international leaders in business, the arts, sports and sciences.

Mark's design for the Scotiabank EcoLiving Award is a combination of optical crystal and reclaimed timber.  Invented over 250 years ago in England by George Ravencroft, optical crystal symbolizes man's achievement in mirroring the beauty of nature. Acquatimber, the material used for the base of the award, is wood originally cut down in the 1800s and preserved underwater on the bottom of Georgian Bay for over 100 years.

"Mark's art is rooted in social responsibility and the complexity of society's relationship with the environment," said Laurie Simmonds, Chief Executive Officer and President, Green Living Enterprises. "It was a unanimous decision to select Mark as the designer of the Scotiabank EcoLiving award sculpture, and we are honoured and excited to present the winners with such a fitting symbol of their award-winning home energy-saving accomplishments."

On the evening of June 2^nd Mark's design will be presented to the three winners of the first Scotiabank EcoLiving Awards, a Canada-wide awards program that recognizes and celebrates businesses, innovators and students for excellence in the development of home energy efficiency products, services and solutions: the Business Leadership Award ($50,000); the Innovators Award ($15,000); and the Student Leadership Award ($10,000).

To view a video presentation of the Scotiabank EcoLiving award, please visit
http://vimeo.com/24046188

Full information on the awards, the finalists, the judging panel and the June 2^nd gala awards ceremony is available exclusively on Scotiabank's EcoLiving website, http://ecoliving.scotiabank.com/awards

About the Scotiabank EcoLiving Program
The Scotiabank EcoLiving Program, introduced in June 2010, is Scotiabank's Canadian flagship environmental program designed to help Canadians discover how they can make greener choices for their homes, reduce their energy bills and take advantage of government rebates. The EcoLiving website (www.ecoliving.scotiabank.com) is a cornerstone of the program and a unique online consumer resource. The site offers government rebate and financial savings information all in one place - providing an easy-to-use resource for Canadians to learn about, plan and compare green home improvement options. EcoLiving Magazine, a bi-annual publication, features seasonally specific home greening information and tips. Through the Scotiabank EcoLiving Awards, Canadian businesses, innovators and students dedicated to improving residential energy efficiency will be recognized and honoured. The first three award recipients will be announced on June 2, 2011.

About Scotiabank
Scotiabank is one of North America's premier financial institutions and Canada's most international bank. With more than 70,000 employees, Scotiabank Group and its affiliates serve some 18.6 million customers in more than 50 countries around the world. Scotiabank offers a broad range of products and services including personal, commercial, corporate and investment banking. With assets above $541 billion (as at January 31, 2011), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (BNS) and New York Exchanges (BNS). For more information please visit www.scotiabank.com.

About GreenLiving
Green Living Enterprises is a pioneer and leader in developing social and environmental marketing programs that keep consumers and clients at the forefront of the green agenda. Green Living Enterprises is a full-service, one-stop solution for green marketing, product and program development, custom publishing, and event management.  Green Living Enterprises, an authentically green company, also includes Greenlivingonline.com and The Green Living Show, North America's largest green consumer show, dedicated to easy and workable solutions for leading a sustainable lifestyle.

Image with caption: "The EcoLiving Award Sculpture, created by artist Mark Raynes Robert, mirrors nature with a combination optical crystal and reclaimed timber. (CNW Group/Scotiabank)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20110530_C8654_PHOTO_EN_01.jpg